NMC warns against medical college scam, clarifies on foreign MBBS

Hyderabad: The National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory authority for medical education in India, cautioned MBBS aspirants and their parents not to fall for fake offers promising easy admissions and offshore courses that are not legally sanctioned.

The commission pointed out several unauthorised medical colleges operating in India without requisite approvals that mislead students and parents by offering bogus courses.

In an advisory, NMC listed out important points during admission process in medical colleges across India and mandatory rules while pursuing education in foreign countries.

NMC criteria for foreign medical graduates to practise in India

The Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021 of NMC have listed key requirements for medical students who graduated from a foreign university but desire to practise medicine in India.

• A minimum of 54 months of education in a single institution.
• A 12-month internship to be completed at the same foreign university.
• Clinical training must not be done in parts or across different countries.
• Medium of instruction must be English.
• Studied the mandatory subjects.
• The graduate must be registered with the medical authority in the country where they earned their degree, or be qualified to get a license to practise medicine there, just like a citizen of that country would be.

Risk of disqualification

The FMGL notes that permanent registration will not be granted to foreign medical graduates unless they undergo a supervised internship in India for a minimum term of 12 months. The FMGL has every right to disqualify them if they fail to comply.

• Students graduating from non-compliant medical institutions will be ineligible for licensing exams, i.e., FMGE in India.
• The onus of this disqualification lies solely with the student, as per the regulations of the Commission.

How to verify legitimacy of medical institution

NMC strongly advises medical aspirants and their families to stay vigilant and protect self from fraudulent colleges. Here are ways to stay away from being cheated.

• Check NMC’s website for the list of recognised medical colleges in India. Those not listed are automatically considered unauthorised.
• NMC does not conduct direct admissions to any medical college in India.
• Contact NMC directly for verification, especially if you’re presented with recognition letters or direct admission offers.
• Do not rely on fake offers, college websites or advertisements alone. It should be noted here that no medical college in India guarantees admission outside of official channels, i.e., NEET.